Xysticus spasskyi Utochkin, 1968

Marusik, Yuri M. & Azarkina, Galina N., 2016, Redescription of the poorly known crab spider Xysticus spasskyi (Araneae: Thomisidae), Zootaxa 4161 (4), pp. 561-566 : 563-565

Xysticus spasskyi Utochkin, 1968

Figs 1‒22

Xysticus spasskyi Utochkin, 1968: 35 , figs 79‒80 (♀). Ovtsharenko 1979: 40, fig. 21 (♂, synonymy with X. umbrinus ). Xysticus umbrinus Utochkin 1968: 25 , figs 27‒29 (♂). Mcheidze 1997: 157, figs 264‒266 (♂).

Type material. Holotype of X. spasskyi : female, RUSSIA, Krasnodar Province [“Chernomorskaya Gouvern”], 1300 m, 12 July 1913, Nasonov (PSU, “Zool. In-t 367‒913", examined). Holotype of X. umbrinus : male, RUSSIA, Krasnodar Province ["Caucasus, Kuban' Area”], 1915, N. Bogdanov-Kat'kov (PSU, “Zool. In-t 405-929", examined).

Other material examined. THE CRIMEA: 2♂ 2♀, near Yalta , Pinus pallasiana forest, ca. 400 m, 44°31'N, 34°14'E, pitfall traps, 25 June–2 July 2000, M.M. Kovblyuk ( ZMMU) . RUSSIA: North Ossetia: 3♂, Ardon River basin, Kasar Canyon, Uiltsa Gorge , 6 km up from Buron Village , meadow in forest belt, 1500 m, ca. 42°43'N, 43°48'E, 31 May–23 July 1985, S.K. Alexeev ( ZMMU) . AZERBAIJAN: Naxçıvan Area: 2♂ 1♀, environments of Bichenek Village , oak forest, 2000 m, 39°31.696'N 45°46.6'E, 3 June 2003, Y.M. Marusik & E. Huseynov ( ZMMU) ; Zagataly District: 1♂ 1♀, Rochugel , 41°46'N, 46°36'E, 22 June 2003, N. Snegovaya & H. Aliev ( ZMMU) ; Ismailly District: 1♀, Velayasi , ca. 40°57'N, 48°10'E, 27 June 2003 (N. Snegovaya & H. Aliev ( ZMMU) .

Note. Holotypes of X. spasskyi of X. umbrinus are mentioned by Utochkin (1968) as deposited in the collections of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, however they are kept in the Perm State University where Utochkin was working. Although the name X. umbrinus has a page priority over X. spasskyi, Ovtsharenko (1979) gave priority to the latter name without any explanation, but probably because spasskyi is a patronym.

Diagnosis. Xysticus spasskyi resembles X. austrosibiricus Logunov et Marusik, 1998 ( Logunov & Marusik 1998: figs 3‒4, 9‒10). Males of the two species differ in the shape of median tegular apophysis and embolus. In both X. spasskyi and X. austrosibiricus the median tegular apophysis is wider than the lateral apophysis but in the former species it is oriented at exactly at 90° to the long axis of the palp whereas in X. austrosibiricus it is directed in a slightly posterior direction at an angle of approximately 45° to the long axis of the palp ( Logunov & Marusik 1998: fig. 3). The embolic tip in X. spasskyi is modified (widened, Figs 4, 6 , 14, 16‒17 ), but not in X. austrosibiricus . The males differ also in the shape of the retrolateral apophysis tip, which is blunt in X. spasskyi and sharply pointed in X. austrosibiricus . The epigynes of the two species differ in the shape of the atrium which is subtriangular with an apical pocket and a well developed septum in X. spasskyi ( Figs 8‒11 ) and subrectangular with a pair of apical pockets and a short septum in X. austrosibiricus ( Logunov & Marusik 1998: f. 9). The endogynes (vulvae) of two species are very similar and differ in the position of receptacles which converge anteriorly in X. spasskyi and are subparallel in X. austrosibiricus .

Description. Male (from Crimea): Total length 4.9. Carapace 2.7 long, 2.65 wide. Colour and pattern as shown on Figs 1‒2 , pattern slightly variable on carapace and abdomen. Legs yellow except femora and patellae; femora and patellae I‒II brown, femora and patellae III‒IV light brown. Leg measurements and spination as in Tables 1 and 2 .

Palp as in Figs 4‒7 , 14‒18 ; tibia with 2 apophyses, ventral (VTA) and retrolateral (RTA); ventral apophysis with brush of short setae (Br) on the tip; RTA longer than VTA, with blunt (not sharply pointed tip). Tegulum with 2 apophyses, massive, hack-like median apophysis (Ma) and claw-like prolateral apophysis (Pa). Embolus massive, thick, with modified tip (flattened with claw like extension).

Female (from Crimea): Total length 6.75 long, Carapace 3.5 long, 3.4 wide. Colouration and pattern as in Fig. 3 ; carapace with distinct and abdomen with indistinct pattern; legs uniformly yellow. Leg measurements and spination as in Tables 1 and 3 .

Epigyne as in Figs 8‒13 , 19‒21 ; with large egg-shaped atrium, atrium with distinct borders and large septum (Se) occupying posterior part, anterior part with one pocket (Ap); atrium with 2 pairs of fovea (pits) visible in SEM micrographs but not in light microscopy; receptacles weakly sclerotized, long, fused in anterior part; copulatory ducts indistinct.

Remarks. The male palps from different populations do not vary in their sizes (cf. Figs 4‒7 ), although there are some minor differences in the shape of the embolic tip.

All four intact epigynes examined contained mating plugs. All plugs seemed to be formed by a secretion produced by females. This is the first report of such plugs in the Coriarachninae. Uhl et al. (2010) reported on the mating plugs in two members of the subfamily, Ozyptila claveata (Walckenaer, 1837) and " Xysticus spp., lanio " only. In the former species the plug was formed by a part of the palp, and in the latter species it was of unclear origin.

Distribution. The World Spider Catalogue (WSC 2016) lists the distribution of this species as Russia, although it has also been reported from Georgia, Azerbaijan and the Crimea ( Fig. 22 ) ( Mikhailov 2013; Otto 2015).

Figures

FIGURE 22. Distribution records of Xysticus spasskyi.

FIGURES 1 ‒ 7. Habitus and male palp of Xysticus spasskyi. 1 ‒ 3 Habitus dorsal (1 ‒ 2 male, 3 female); 4 ‒ 7 Male palp (4, 6 ventral, 5, 7 retrolateral). 1 ‒ 3, 6 ‒ 7 specimens from Crimea; 4 ‒ 5 specimens from Northern Ossetia. Scale = 0.2 mm if not otherwise indicated.

FIGURES 8 ‒ 13. Epigyne of Xysticus spasskyi, specimens from the Crimea. 8 ‒ 10 intact epigyne, ventral; 11 after macertaion, ventral; 12 ‒ 13 after maceration, dorsal. Scale = 0.2 mm. Abbreviations: Mp mating plug; Se septum.

FIGURES 14 ‒ 21. Xysticus spasskyi, specimens from the Crimea. 14 ‒ 15, 17 ‒ 18 Male palp (14 ventral, 15 retrolateral, 17 anterior, 18 ventro-prolateral); 16 tip of embolus and tutaculum, ventral; 19 ‒ 21 Epigyne (19 after maceration, dorsal, 20 after maceration, ventral; 21 anterior-ventral). Scale = 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: Ap anterior pocket; Br brush of hairs; Em embolus, Fo fovea (pit); Ma median tegular apophysis; Pa prolateral tegular apophysis; RTA retrolateral tibial apophysis; Se septum; VTA ventral tibial apophysis.

Tables

TABLE 1. Leg measurements ♂ / ♀ (specimens from Crimea).

Fe	Pa	Ti	Mt	Ta	Total
I 2.75/3.25	1.15/1.75	2.0/2.25	2.1/1.95	1.1/1.15	9.1/10.35
II 2.75/3.25	1.15/1.75	2.0/2.25	2.05/1.95	0.85/1.1	8.8/10.3
III 1.95/2.25	0.9/1.2	1.25/1.4	1.2/1.15	0.75/0.8	6.05/6.8
IV 2.05/2.25	0.85/1.0	1.35/1.55	1.3/1.4	0.75/1.85	6.3/8.05

TABLE 2. Male leg spination (specimen from Crimea).

Fe	Pa	Ti	Mt
I d4 p10	p1 r1 v0-1	p3 r3 v4-4	p2 r2 v4-3
II d5 p1	p1 r1 v0-1	p3 3r v4-4	p2 r2 v4-3
III d4	p1 r1	1d p2 r2 v3-3	p2 r2 v2-2
IV d5	p1 r1	2d p2 r2 v3-3	p2 r2 v2-2

TABLE 3. Female leg spination (specimen from Crimea).

	Fe	Ti	Mt
I	p3	p4 r1 v8-6	p3 r2 v5-5
II	d2	p4 r1 v6-6	p3 r2 v5-5
III	d2	d1 p2 r1 v3-3	p3 r3 v2-2
IV	d2	d2 p2 r2 v3-0	p3 r3 v2-2